Motor-control system.



H. L. BEACH. MOTOR QONTROL SYSTEM.

. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23.1913. 1,2319557.

AUUENEY Patented July 3, 191?.

UNITED fi l "PATENT @ilc' HOWARD L. BEACH, 015 EDGEWOOD PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO VIESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A. CORPDRATEON OI PENNSYL- VAN IA.

MOTOR-CONTROL SYSTEM.

Patented July 3, wi l.

Application filed flctober 23, 1913. Serial No. 796,832.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that l, HOWARD L. BEACI'I, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Edgewood Park, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Motor-Control Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to motor control systems, and it has special reference to systems employed in connection with elevators, planers and similar machines.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple and effective system of control whereby anelectric motor may be accelerated smoothly and gradually.

It is well known that the torque of an electric motor varies directly with the strength of its magnetic field and with the valueof the armature current. In systems of control which provide fora constant armature current during the acceleration of a motor from standstill to full speed with the field weakened, the torque will be substantially double its normal full speed value until approximately half speed is reached.

and, as a result, the motor will start'with a jerk and will be accelerated at an excessively rapid rate. If the motor be accelerated with the armature current so controlled as to correspond to full-load torque with a strong field during armature acceleration, and to correspond to full-load torque with weakened field during field acceleration, a jerk will occur at approaimately half speed because of the sudden increase in torque at this point. If, however, the armature current be increased gradually during armature acceleration from full-load current value with a strong field to full-load current value with a weak field, the motor will start easily and accelerate without jerk or jar, the torque gradually reaching a maximum value at approximately half speed and then ,falling off again to a normal value at full speed, as the field is weakened.

To accomplish this latter result, I have provided a system comprising a compoundwound relay switch having a series coil in the :irmnture circuit and a shunt coil in parallel with all or part of the starting resistor for controlling the switches which cut out the starting resistor. The system also comprises a series relay switch for cont-rolling the field resistor. r-i modification of my invention comprises a series of self-closing switches that operate to cut out the starting resistor, a series relay switch which controls the field resistor and a second series relay switch for controlling the first to insure a strong field until the starting resistor is entirely out out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of circuits and apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, of a modification. Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of curves indicating the several characteristics of the motor during acceleration.

is supplied from a suitable source, through conductors 1 and 2, to an electric motor 3, the armature of which is indicated at The motor 3 is provided with a shunt field winding 5 that is in series with a field resistor 6. A sectional starting resistor I, which is in series with the motor armature i, is adapted to be controlled by a series of electromagnetic switches 8, 9, 10 and 11 having actuating coils 12,13, 14: and 15, respectively. The several switches 8, 9 and 10 are provided with interlocking switches indicated broadly at 16, which insure that the switches 8, 9, 10 and 11 will operate successively and in a predetermined order.

A compound wound relay switch 17, which controls the operation of the switches 8, 9, 10 and 11, comprises a series coil 18 in circuit with the armature 3 and the resistor 7, and a shunt coil 19 that is connected in parallel'with a portion of the resistor 7. A series relay switch 20, having its actuating coil 2-1 in circuit with the motor armature 3, controls a shunt circuit for the field resistor 6. A also controls a shunt circuit for the resistor 6. has an actuating coil 23. A'mastcr switch 2 comprises contact segments and 26 which coact with contact fingers 27' to operate the control circuits of the motor. It may he assumed the conductors 1 and 2 are connected, by any suitable means,

1 to a source of current and that the master switch is closed. Current will then flo from the conductor 1 through the contact segment 26, conductor 28, coil 23, resistor 29, conductor 30 and contact segment to shunt-relay switch 22, which -7ll. Referring particularly to Fig. 1, current the negative conductor 2. The coil 23 will be energized to close the switch 22 and short-circuit the resistor 6. Current will also flow from the positive conductor 1 through the armature 4, coil 18, starting resistor 7 and coil 21 to the conductor 2. -The coil 19 will be energized to its maximum degree because of the large drop in potential between the points of its connection to the predetermined value, current will flow from theconductor 1 through the contact segment 26 of the master switch, conductor 28, switch 17, interlock switch 16 and coil 12 to the contact segment 25 which is connected. to the negative side of the line. The switch 8 will then close to short-circuit a section of the resistor 7 and, at the same time, to complete a circuit for the coil 13 of the switch 9. The several switches will then close in order to short circuit the entire resistor 7. As the resistor 7 is gradually cut out, the ampere turns of the coil 19 decrease because of the decrease in drop of potential across the terminals of the coil.

5 An increased currentwill then be required to energize the coil 18 to compensate for the loss of ampere turns in'the coil 19. The switch 17 will, therefore, operate only with an increased value of armature current after the closing of each of the switches 8, 9, 10 and 11. This arrangement insures a gradual increase in the armature current during the period of armature acceleration. When the resistor 7 is entirely out out, the coil 19 is short-circuited and the switch 17 is actuated solely by the coil 18.

When the switch 11 closes, a short-circuit for the .coil 23 of the switch 22 is completed by. the switch member 32 of the switch 11 which connects the conductors 31 and 33. The switch 22 then opens to remove the shunt around the resistor 6. A second shunt circuit for the resistor 6 is controlled by the switch '20, the series actuating coil 21 of which is adjusted to operate the switch at'the same current value as that for which the coil 18 is adjusted when the switch 11 completes the short-circuiting of the resistor 7. The motor will then be further accelerated by the weakening of the field, and the armature current will be maintained at substantially a constant value during this period by the oscillation of the switch 20.

Reference may now be had to Fig. 3 in which the several performance curves of the motor are illustrated. It will be noted that I provide a system which operates to gradually increase the armature current during the period of armature acceleration and to ma ntain a constant value of the armature current during the period of field acceleration. The result is to gradually increase the torque of the motor to a. maximum value that is approximately double the normal operating value as the armature current increases in value, and to gradually decrease the torque toits normal value as the field is weakened. The motor accelerates at a substantially constant rateuntil it' operates at its normal rate. There is no j erk or jar upon the drivenmechanism because the speed is increased gradually without abrupt change in the torque of the motor.

A modification is illustrated in Fig. 2 in 'which like'numerals are used to designate correspondingparts. The starting resistor 7 is controlled by a series of self closing switches .34, 35, 36 and 37 that are provided with actuating coils 38,39, 40 and 11,

spectively. The actuating coils, with the exception ofcoil 38, which is in series with the motor armature 4, are each in series with the preceding switch to close, thus insuring the operation "of the several=switches in a definite predetermined order. The switches 34, 35, 36 and 37 are arranged to operate successively as the coils 38, 39, 40 and 41 are energized by current of progressively higher values in order to obtain armature acceleration with an increasing torque, as in the system of Fig. 1. -A shunt.circuit for the from the positive conductor 1 through the armature 4, coil 38, resistor 7 ,-and coils i3 and 21 to the negative conductor 2. The coil 38 is energized to close the switch 34c and thereby short circuit a section of the resistor 7 throughthe coil 39. lVhen the current rises to the value for which the coil'39 is adjusted, the switch 35 is closed. In the same manner, the switches 36 and 37 are closed to short circuit the entire resistor 7 and thus effect an increase of the armature current to a maximum value at which the torque of the motor is approximately double the normal operating value. The closing of the switch 37' also short circuits the coil 43,

allowing the switch 42 to close and thereby field resistor 6 is controlled by a switch 22,

example, by providing the switch with metallic magnetic circuit, the air gap between the relatively movable parts being longer in the open position than in the closed position. By means of'the above described operation of the switch 42, the field may be weakened when the current value is below" that required to operate the series switches 34c, 85, 36 and 37 and the motor thereby accelerated. The weakening of the iield will more than likely operate to increase the armature current to a'value sufiicient t'o'begin the closing of the automatic switches.

After the opening of the switch 22, the field resistor 6 iscontrolled by the switch 20, the coil 21 of which is adjusted to operate at the maximum current values after the resister '7 is cut out. The motor is then accelerated to full speed by the oscillation of the switch 20, the weakening of the field decreasing the torque of the motor to its normal value at full speed.

While I have described my invention as applied to a motor operating in one direction only, it will be understood that it may be applied equally as well to motors having means for reversing the direction of their operation.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a motor control system, the combi nation with a motor, of automatic means for accelerating said motor by gradually increasing its torque to a predetermined maximum and then gradually decreasing the same to a predetermined minimum.

2. In a motor control system, the combination with a source of current, and an electric motor having armature and tield windings, of means for automatically increasing the armature current to a predetermined maximum value while the field excitation is substantially constant and for decreasing the field excitation while the armature current remains substantially at a constant yalue.

3. in a motor control system, the combination with an electric motor having a starting resistor and :1 held resistor, and a source of current, of means for automatically and gradually short circuiting said starting resistor as the current supplied to said motor increases in value to a maximum and for short circuiting the field resistor while the armature current remains at said maximum value.

l. In a motor control system, the combination with a motor having armature and held windings, and a source of current, of

automatic means for gradually increasing the armature current to a predetermined value and at the same time maintaining the current said field windings at a substantially constant value and tor decreasing the currentin said field windings and at the same time maintaining the armature current at substantially a constant value.

5, In a motor control system, the combination with an electric motor, and a source oi current, of a starting resistor and a field res tor'for said motor, of a series of success vely actuated switches for controlling said starting resistor, of means controlled by the last of said switches to close tor controlling said field resistor, and additional means operable predetermined current value tor controlling said field resistor.

6. in a motor control system, the combination with a source or" current, and an elec tric motor having a starting resistor and a field rosistonof a plurality of progressively actuated switches for controlling said startresistor, a switch controlled by the last of said switches to operate for controlling said field resistor, and a second switch actuated at predetermined current values for controlling said field resistor.

7. In a motor control system, the combination with a source of current, and an electric motor having armature and field windings, of resistors in series with said windings, a plurality of switches actuated at progressively increased values of current through said armature windings for short circuiting one of said resistors, and a switch operable at the maximum value of the armature current for controlling the other resistor.

8.. In a motor control system, the combination with a source of current, and an electric motor l1&VlI1D,2I starting resistor and a field resistor, or automatic means for controlling said starting resistor, plurality of shunt circuits for said field resistor, one of which is controlled by said automatic means, and means operable at a predetermined current value tor controlling the other shunt circuit.

9 In a motor control system, the combi nation with an electric motor, and a source of current, of a starting resistor and a field resistor for said motor, of a plurality of automatic switches for controlling said starting resistor, a plurality of shunt circuits for said field resistor, a switch controlled by one of said automatic switches for controlling one of. said shunt oi. nits, and a switch operable at a predetermined current value for controlling the other shunt circuit.

10. In a control system, the combination with a source of current, and an electric motor having a starting resistor and a field resistor, of a plurality of successively actuated switches forcontrolling said starting resistor, means controlled by the last of "said switches to operate for controlling said field resistor, and a switch having an actuat ing coil in series With said motor and actuated at predetermined current values for controlling said field resistor."

11. In a motor control system, the combination -With a source of current, and an electric motor connected thereto and having armature and field windings, of means for accelerating said motor whereby the armature current is gradually increased from full load value With a strong field to a maximum full load value with a Weak field, and means for weakening the field of said Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

creasing the armature current to a predetermined maximum Value While maintain-- ing substantially constant field excitation and then decreasing the field excitation at such rate that the value of the armature current remains substantially constant.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name. this 17th day of Oct.

HOWARD L. BEACH. Witnesses:

GEO. W. HUEY, B. B. HINES.

Washington D. C. 

